Watching The Wheels
by undertow3412
Summary: So conflicted, the genre's confused. Through Claus' rowdy yet intensely confused perspective, we take a look of what happened after Chapter 1. Therefore, SPOILER HEAVY. Mostly a psychological horror, but I find it hard to write without a good dose of comedy.
1. Chapter 1: This Isn't My Bed

Note: This is my first time with this whole "fanfiction" thing. So, don't kill me too badly.

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Chapter 1: This Isn't My Bed

from undertow3412

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Wait, how did I get here?

I don't even have the energy to open my eyes. It's a wonder I'm not asleep. I can hear a hollow metallic rattling a few feet to my left, so I must be inside. How did I get here? Last I knew, I was climbing up Mt. Oriander, and I think something hit the back of my head…

Am I dead?

…No. No, I think I would know if I was dead.

I would, right?

Yes. I think I would.

So, ruling out me being dead, I guess someone kidnapped me or something. Annoying. I was in a hurry to… do… something?...

…

That's right. The Drago

My mother! She –

No. Don't think about that. I can't. I need to k- get rid of it. The Drago that… I need to get rid of it. Once I get the energy to get up and out of… wherever this is.

Having regained my senses a little, I can tell I'm wearing more than I was before the kidnapping. I'm wearing a jacket, some pants that feel a little too big, boots, gloves, and… a helmet? There's some kind of cool glass or something pressed against my left eyelid.

Well, I guess questions will have to wait. I should be able to open my eyes by now, at least.

Mmphh.

Guess not yet. Maybe the eye-glass is causing a little problem. Oh well, that shouldn't be too big of a problem. After all, I'm one of the most energetic kids in my grade! Even with something like this, I'll be back up before the bad guys know I'm awake.

…Cause, y'know, if someone's kidnapped, then they've gotta be the bad guys, right? Exactly. Actually, this could be kinda cool. What other kid in Tazmily can say they escaped a big group of bad guys like that. Yeah! I could be a hero! I can see a good headline now – "Claus discovers big bad company!"

Or something like that. Lucas is the one who makes things pretty, not me.

Lucas. I love my brother and all that mushy stuff, but he's gotta stop being such a scaredy-cat. If he had been there earlier, I could have saved him from these guys. Cause, y'know, they'd've taken the easier bait, of course.

The ground shakes, and an electricky* sound comes from under me. What? What're they doing now? I can take on an earthquake if I need to! But, I guess I don't need to. I can tell now I must be on a stretcher. Like at the big hospital our family went to after I accidentally rammed into a tree and a beehive landed on Lucas. (…What? I said I was sorry. How was _I_ supposed to know we're allergic?) Only this stretcher feels hard, like it's made on metal – and no pillows or blankets. Maybe I don't need to worry, if I'm just at a hospital.

It'd still be nice if I could open my eyes, though.

"It is finished."

A worn-out voice came from my right. He must be the one who kidnapped me! Why else would he sound so tired? He sounds a lot older than I'd think though. He sounds as old as old man Wess, maybe even older - if that's even possible.

"You sure? We ain't gonna just send the thing over to King P if you're not sure. 'Cause I'm not sure."

The other voice in front of me sounded fat. I don't even know how that works, but that's the only word that fits here. Fat.

"I am certain. This will work exactly as intended." replied the burnt out voice.

"Hrm. Prove it. I don't wanna be bacon if it doesn't work." challenged the chunky voice.

I need to see this thing they're talking about. Maybe if I try really hard right now…

The elder voice sighed, and took a few steps towards me. I've gotta see this! Harder…

…! I can see! YES! Well, sort of. Looking through my right eye, the metallic tiles above me have small reflections of the fluorescent lights spread across the ceiling. As for my left eye, it's still pressed under the eye-glass. But, what matters is I can see.

And I can also see the person that had walked towards me – some scientist whose hair was in two puffs at the back of his head, with a moustache and glasses to boot. It looks like he took his hair advice from a cotton swab.

The eccentric looked in the direction my feet were pointed and explained, "Everything else is programmed in, but it won't work until we put the king's DNA in there. It needs to be able to recognize its master before it becomes functional. We do have the sample, correct?"

"Right, we got that right here," affirmed the obese voice, who I couldn't see from that angle.

After a few seconds of moving things around, the scientist scoffed, "Really? The king couldn't be bothered to lose a hair, or perhaps have a bit of blood taken?"

"Trust me," assured the plump voice, "saliva was easiest sample to obtain from him."

These guys are _real_ freaks. I just wish I could see what it was they were working on.

I waited, and eventually, an electronic whirring came from under me my stretcher. It kept getting louder, until it started to shake the stretcher a little. Actually, this is pretty nice. Sorta like a vibrating cha-

_Awck!_

All of a sudden, I felt a shock go through me. I gasped unwillingly, and – _ow_, it _burns_! It feels like fire is on my inside, trying to break out! OW! Owowowow ow oww owwwww… agh… I can still feel it. But it's dulled now.

Then, an image popped into my head. You know I was saying how that second guy's voice was fat? Well, in comparison to this, that guy's voice is as skinny as bell-ringer Leder. This kid who popped into my head… I think I gained calories just seeing him in my head. He had blond hair with bangs completely covering his eyes, and was wearing overalls. Ew.

Porky. That's the kid's name. Wait, what? I don't know that. But, anyway, I think I should serve him. Huh? What? No, I didn't mean that! Where did that co – Master Porky. Wait, no, that's not right! Get out of my head! Stop it! I- no, sto- how –

I stood up. No, wait, _I_ didn't stand up. My legs moved and somehow I'm standing, but I didn't actually do anything. How did I do that? But now I can't move. Not that I could before, but considering the fact I'm standing up, you'd figure I could do _something_. Like, walk to the door.

Which I'll now go do. Right now. Wha- No, I wasn't doing that! But now I'm there, by the metallic automatic door. How?

"There. Now I've done what you've asked. I'm leaving," stated the professor grudgingly.

"No, Dr. Andonuts," said the still-overweight voice. Now I can see that he's wearing a pig-like outfit, in white. "You have much more to work on with the chimeras here. In the meantime, my new commander will be escorting me to New Pork City grounds."

Huh. New Pork City. Sounds nice. I can't imagine anywhere else I'd rather be. I want to live there forever.

_Stop_ it!

Nonetheless, I walked with my new minion towards a ridiculously long limousine. Wait, no I'm not! I shouldn't be, I never wanted to go over there! I want to leave, and go find Lucas and my father! I want to _kill _that Drago! At least, I think that's what I want? Yes! I think so! Then, why am I still walking? I _want_ to turn around! Turn! Turn around! …Wait, why was I turning again? There was something important. But what was it?

I reached the leather seating of the limo, still aware that I didn't want to, for some reason. The pig-masked guy walked past me towards the drinks.

I can't do it. But why not? Why am I changing my mind so much? I can't take this. I'm not two people! My name is Claus! _My name is Claus_!

A teardrop falls from my right eye.

Wait. My right eye.

I still have control of my right eye.

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*If Claus says "electricky" is a word, then it's a word. Claus is a modern-day Shakespeare, dagnabbit!


	2. Chapter 2: The Roommate

Happy 7th birthday to Mother 3. :) Sorry for the huge break, I need my inspiration, y'know? But I digress…

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Chapter Two: The Roommate

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My stupid leg is asleep. Can't I do anything on my own?

Apparently not. I've been sitting in this exact position for the last fifteen minutes. I've gotten a nice (and by "nice," I mean, "At least paint drying changes a little," ) view of the sand-colored seats and the brown floor to look at. I can't even raise my head to look out the window. Would it really take so much energy?

_Yes. Energy can only be used in serving Porky._

Oh, shut up. Ignore him. He's not even real.

_I beg to differ. There's only one person here, you know._

Stop it, you're so annoying!

_You'll just have to learn to get used to it. There's nowhere else you can go._

Yes, there is! I've still got an eye working.

_And that will be remedied. It's not like that's going to help you much, in any case._

Why can my eye still work? And while I'm at that, why can't I use anything else?

_This body has been salvaged for the purposes of Master Porky. Any irrelevant functions of this body are being repurposed. This includes certain neurological processes of the frontal lobe which - _

Never mind, I don't really care.

_It seems some areas of the nervous system will require more alteration than others. _

Wait… did you just call me dumb?

_Impaired basal ganglia, perhaps._

Hey! Don't call me a ganglia!

_Nevertheless, your current opinions are unimportant. I am you. And you can't change that._

The limo came to a halt.

"This way, sir," offered the pig-man. Sir? What, is this the new treatment for prisoners ?

_No. This is the traditional treatment for higher-ranking officials._

Well, I've always wanted to join the army.

_Your wish is my command._

Great. My other half is sarcastic too.

The soldier looks onward while I – or rather, my other self – take steps out the door and onto a dark grey stone I didn't recognize.

_Otherwise known as asphalt?_

Hehe. You said ass.

I then moved my head up to see… I don't know if I can handle all this.

There were huge buildings. Not like the ones at home – these buildings were at least thirty times that size. And with fifty times as many windows. It looked like most of the sides _were_ glass. And light bulbs that curved in crazy ways to make words. And they were different colors! Some purple, some red – any color! And then there was –

_I don't think anyone particularly cares._

Hey, this is my story, here. And these things are incredible! I didn't know these things could even exist!

_Obviously, they can. All for the great Porky's empire. This is the home of it all – New Pork City._ _And I shall be heading for the King himself. And there is where I shall –_

HOLY CRAP, THESE STAIRS ARE **MOVING!**

_…You truly are a simpleton, aren't you?_

I'm standing still, and the stairs are **moving!**

_You haven't even gotten to the best part yet… _

…What?

_Look up._

I slid my eye up to see… it. The tallest, most purple building I'll ever see. It just kept going up until it hit the clouds.

_The Empire Porky building. This is where we reach our next phase, my dear Claus. _

_This is where you lose your humanity._

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The novelty of a room that moves up a building tires really quickly when you're moving up 80 windows. And I really have to pee, so that doesn't help anything. At least I'm not in control of my bladder anyway.

I can't help but wonder… How far from Tazmily am I? It was only a 15 minute ride on the limo. But in all the stories of limos I've heard, I was never told how fast it could go. For all I know, I could be a hundred miles away from my family. From Dad. From Lucas. From…

Oh. I guess… not Mom.

…What happened? Not just with this whole "other self" thing. To everything.

First, to Dad. He never got angry. That was one thing I knew for sure about Dad – he never, ever got angry. I'd always get angry. Lucas too, every now and then. But not Dad. Then, when he found out… about Mom… He hurt people. He grabbed firewood straight from the fire – which he always told us not to do. He was thrown into the old jail cell. I always heard stories that the old jail cell was where we were supposed to put bad people. But Dad's not bad… right?

To Lucas. Since a few days ago, he hasn't done anything. At all. He used to go play with me all the time, especially when we had Fuel or someone else with us too. Pretend sword fights, tag, whatever we wanted to. We had the whole town to ourselves. Now… one time he actually slept the night next to the gravestone…

And then, what happened…

…to Mom?

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_"Come on, Mom! We've gotta say goodbye to the Dragos before we leave!" I didn't really think we needed to – I just wanted to start playing with them so we could stay just a little longer. _

_Mom let out a soft giggle. "Okay, Claus. But we need to leave right after. It's getting dark out."_

_"Right, sure thing, Mom!" Me and Lucas were ready. One look at him to make sure we wouldn't back out on me, and we ran off, while Mom kept a leisurely pace behind us._

_We got right to the place. The Dragos looked sleepy, but not too much._

_I jumped right on to the mother to let her know we were here._

_The mother wasn't happy. It was a robot._

_It turned its head to show its face. It's lower jaw was metal. Its left eye was normal, but the other eye… the other one was blue._

_And it was looking at me._

_I think I screamed. But it felt more like all the air in me suddenly wanted to leave – and did._

_I… can't remember this part. But I had big claw marks on both my sides the next day, and I remember my mom coming and yelling at the monster to let go of me._

_I hit the ground, and started to run. I got to where Lucas was, between the road to Grandpa's and the river. _

_"Run! Go to the river and jump in!" My mom pleaded with us. Her voice was shaky and fragile._

_I pulled Lucas along to get to the edge of where the river was. We were right there, but I stopped. Mom needed to come too._

_But instead of Mom, there was the robot Drago._

_It roared at us, and I could hear Lucas next to me screaming in rushed bursts. No, not just Lucas. I heard two voices. I was there too._

_Then, like out of nowhere, Mom sprinted in between us and the Drago._

_Mom looked behind her at us. She looked exhausted._

_"Please. Go. Now."_

_"M-m-Mom?" I don't know if it was me or Lucas._

_"Claus… Lucas… I love you."_

_Then the Drago–_

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That was the loudest thing I had ever heard from her voice.

I never knew she could run so fast, either.

_Wasteful._

…What?

_You spend your time on events past, when your present stands before you. Not that it benefits you either way._

My mom was a hero. You couldn't understand. You're just a robot, **you couldn't ever understand!** You don't know what she was like.

_I understand everything you do and more._

No. You don't. You might have all the facts, but you'll never understand how she could make us feel better with just a few words, how she could make us come running home at dinnertime everyday, how she could love so much.

"And you never will!"

The soldier looked towards me.

Did… I just say that? Did **I** just say that?

"Sorry… just testing my… vocal circuiting," I said, without trying.

…I just said something.

_It doesn't matter._

*DING*

_I'm in charge. We'll work out those few… bugs._

The elevator doors opened. It was a room full of people.

In green jars.

I'm really glad I'm not in control of my bladder.

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Author's Note: Chap. 2 for ya. :) Burst of emotion there, mm? Reviews and suggestions would make me feel sexier than Ionia's latest makeup. Maybe even sexier than Ionia. But that would be impossible… *heart*


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